GIVE YOUR BRAIN SOME EXERCISE

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Poor baba
A female black rhino stands in a box before being transported during a rhino translocation exercise In the Nairobi National Park, Kenya.
Image:
Reuters/Baz Ratner

Six things about SA you need to know

Inquiry into Sars is urgent

The inquiry into governance at the SA Revenue Service is urgent‚ with the commission already identifying some "disconcerting things" about morale among employees at the tax agency. This is according to retired supreme court judge Robert Nugent, who is chairing the inquiry appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Nugent addressed the media at SARS headquarters before the inquiry begins on Tuesday. He confirmed that the bulk of the sessions this week would look into the exodus of senior or experienced staff at SARS in recent years. He had already identified some disconcerting things about staff morale that needed addressing. Nugent said he regarded the inquiry as urgent‚ and that the president regarded it as such, too.

Pretrial date set for ‘soccer hooligans’

A group of alleged soccer hooligans who caused havoc at a match between Kaizer Chiefs and Free State Stars at Moses Mabhida Stadium in April appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. The 11 men face charges of public violence and pitch invasion. They are all out on bail. The matter was adjourned to August 2 for a pretrial. They have been barred from attending any sporting fixture or recreational gathering until the finalisation of the case. On April 21‚ police and stadium security were overrun as fans invaded the pitch at the end of the game‚ heading directly for embattled Chiefs coach Steve Komphela‚ who quit immediately after the game.

Woman bust for drugs worth R3m

A 25-year-old woman was arrested in Lwandle in Strand‚ near Cape Town‚ on Monday night after allegedly being found in possession of drugs worth about R3-million. Lieutenant-Colonel Andrè Traut said members of the Lwandle police had received a tip-off from residents about drug-related activities on Vukayi Street‚ Lwandle. About R3-million in tik and mandrax tablets were confiscated. The woman was arrested for dealing in drugs and is scheduled to appear in court in Strand once she has been charged.

Wet winter forecast puts Cape Town on cloud nine

Weather forecasters have hinted at a future of guilt-free flushing for Capetonians. A summarised long-term forecast by the South African Weather Service‚ tweeted on Tuesday by Western Cape premier Helen Zille‚ predicts above-normal rainfall until October. The forecast says there are “sustained‚ almost countrywide” indications of above-average rainfall until September. Lower winter rainfall for the past three years put Cape Town into crisis mode that saw a daunting Day Zero on the horizon. But good rainfall this month has sent dam levels soaring, with Cape Town's five main dams 42.7% full overall.

We are not targeting taxis: City of Joburg

Only 70 of the 500 vehicles the Johannesburg Metro Police have impounded for being unroadworthy are taxis, a statistic the police say rubbishes claims that they were targeting the minibus industry. The Alexandra Taxi Association has accused the JMPD of unfairly targeting it in the current campaign‚ which started in February. So far‚ 500 unroadworthy‚ unlicensed or illegal vehicles - including minibus taxis‚ bakkies and dump trucks - have been impounded under the operation‚ said David Tembe‚ JMPD police chief. Only about 70 were minibus taxis. Tembe said that if taxis were the ones committing the most offences then they “will be in the majority” being fined. “But we are not targeting them.”

Sardines a no-go for Durbs

It seems the sardines may be giving Durban beaches a miss. While silvery shoals have made an appearance on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast‚ the Sharks Board has predicted they will “bypass this area for now”. Some of the removed shark nets in Durban have been replaced, said the board’s Greg Thompson. He said the sardine run seemed to be further south, with action “increasing at Pennington as there were five netting boats on the water scouting the area”.

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We all need a hero
Batman high-fives a child on the beachfront promenade in Kabardinka, Russia.
Image:
Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP

SIX THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD YOU NEED TO KNOW

Dispute resolution blogger killed in dispute

A well-known Japanese blogger has been stabbed to death by an internet user he had argued with, shortly after giving a talk on ‘how to manage disputes online’. Kenichiro Okamoto, known to web users as Hagex, was reportedly followed to the toilets and stabbed several times in the back after a conference. According to his blog, the 41-year-old wanted to ‘share his experiences about quarrels online and how to deal with them’. A 42-year-old suspect has been arrested and has confessed to the crime, saying he ‘hated’ the blogger, according to Japanese state broadcaster NHK. - AFP

Growing up healthy causes cancer, apparently

Boys brought up in healthy homes are more likely to develop prostate cancer in later life, scientists have said. A new study found those who grew in environments more free from germs and illnesses had higher testosterone levels as adults, which is linked to a greater risk of the cancer. Scientists found that fighting off sickness in childhood left the body with fewer resources with which to develop the sex hormone. The study challenges the theory that testosterone levels are controlled by genetics or race, concluding that a man's testosterone levels are more likely to be determined by his environment during childhood than by any other factor. - The Daily Telegraph

They’ve ironed out the Kinks

One of pop's longest-running feuds appears to be over: Ray Davies, frontman of The Kinks, revealed that the band would be reuniting for the first time in more than 20 years. Davies, 74, said that he had been working in the studio with his brother Dave Davies and band mate Mick Avory, which had led to a resolution between the two warring members. Davies said that the group were ‘making a new Kinks album.’ ‘The trouble is, the two remaining members – my brother Dave and Mick – never got along very well. But I've made that work in the studio and it's fired me up to make them play harder, and with fire,’ Davies said. – The Daily Telegraph

Oh dear, Locklear’s gone round the bend

Actress Heather Locklear has been arrested on suspicion of fighting with first responders for the second time this year. Locklear appeared extremely intoxicated when deputies arrived at her Southern California home at about 11pm on Sunday to investigate a dispute. According to police, Locklear kicked one of the deputies and then a paramedic who has been called to evaluate her because of her intoxication. She was taken to a hospital then to jail, where she was booked on two misdemeanor battery counts. She was released on Monday morning after posting $20,000 (R270,000) bail. She checked in to a treatment facility later that day. – The Daily Telegraph

Hackers are friends too …

Campaigners are demanding The Cambridge Dictionary change its definition of hackers, claiming the world's oldest publishing house is allowing a ‘negative’ stereotype of the title. The Cambridge Dictionary states that a hacker is ‘a person who is skilled in the use of computer systems, often one who illegally obtains access to private computer systems’. Objections have been brought by a global community of ‘compassionate’ hackers, who aim is to ‘make the world a better place’ with their work. – The Daily Telegraph

The war on soybeans continues

China confirmed it would cut tariffs on goods from five Asian nations, including soybeans, as a brewing trade war with the US could make American beans more costly. As part of the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement with neighbours Bangladesh, India, Laos, South Korea and Sri Lanka, Beijing will drop tariffs to zero on several important farm imports while cutting tariff rates on dozens of other goods starting July 1. As the world’s largest importer of soybeans, with $14-billion (R189-billion) in imports from the US last year, analysts are worried the planned tariffs could cause the price of animal feed to rise in the world’s second-largest economy. - AFP